House Republicans passed a resolution on Dec. 13 to formalize their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. In attempts to build momentum for the vote, Republicans continued to present misleadingly incomplete information in service of the claim
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Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bathing In Epsom Salts Is NOT ‘Highly Toxic’
Is bathing with Epsom salts highly toxic? No, that's not true: Toxicology experts told Lead Stories the claim that bathing with Epsom salts is toxic is "completely false" and "there is no toxicity associated with salt." Poison control age
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: US National Debt Was NOT Paid Off In 2017 — Last Time Was 1835
Does a viral video show proof that the U.S. national debt was paid off in 2017? No, that's not true: The U.S. Treasury website shows the current U.S. national debt, which is about $33.7 trillion, a number accepted by U.S. financial market
Truth or Fiction?→ Who Invented the Smartphone: A Factual Exploration
In the digital age we live in, it’s hard to imagine a world without smartphones. A far cry from the hefty, feature-light mobile devices of old, today’s smartphones are essentially compact, portable supercomputers. But how did we get here?
Health Feedback→ James Thorp spreads false claims that COVID-19 vaccines harm fertility, pregnancy, infant survival in The Sentinel Report interview
REVIEW On 1 November 2023, host Alex Newman interviewed gynecologist James Thorp for the U.S. TV show The Sentinel Report. During the interview, Thorp claimed that “Americans are dropping dead” from COVID-19 vaccines and that the spike protein f
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: 80% Of COVID-19 Patients Put On Ventilators Did NOT Die
Did 80 percent of COVID-19 patients put on ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic die? No, that's not true: A Johns Hopkins public health expert told Lead Stories that "80% is high," adding that the actual number is "around 30-40%." The
FactCheck.org→ Posts Falsely Claim FDA ‘Required’ to Take mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Off Market Due to Adulteration
SciCheck Digest As with many medical products, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may contain trace amounts of residual DNA from the manufacturing process. It is not considered adulteration, and the Food and Drug Administration is not “required” to pul
Health Feedback→ Residual DNA in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is documented, isn’t associated with genome modification or cancer, contrary to claim by Robert Malone
REVIEW On 27 October 2023, podcaster Charlie Kirk interviewed scientist Robert Malone about the question of residual DNA in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. This interview was posted to various platforms, including Facebook and Rumble, receiving a total of m
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Map Shared On Social Media By Elon Musk Does NOT Accurately Show US Military Presence In Middle East
Does a map published on social media claiming to show U.S. military bases around Iran accurately portray America's military presence there? No, that's not true: The map overestimates the number of U.S. bases in the region. U.S. Central Co
FactCheck.org→ COVID-19 Vaccines Have Not Been Shown to Alter DNA, Cause Cancer
SciCheck Digest Small amounts of DNA from the manufacturing process may remain in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Purification and quality control steps ensure any leftover DNA is present within regulatory limits. There isn’t reason to thin
Health Feedback→ Contrary to viral claim, regulatory agencies knew of residual DNA in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; no evidence this poses health concern
REVIEW A preprint posted on 20 October 2023 to the OSF preprint server claimed that DNA fragments were present in certain lots of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. It also claimed the amount of residual DNA correlated with the number of seri
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: It’s NOT An Authentic ‘Leaked Memo’ That Says CENTCOM Thinks ‘American Troops Do Not Want To Die For Israel’
Are written assertions that "American Troops do not want to die for Israel," and that the U.S. military in the region "does not have enough assets to support Israel" taken from an authentic leaked U.S. military officer's internal memo? No
FactCheck.org→ Posts Falsely Push Bill Gates-Connected ‘Air’ Vaccine Conspiracy
SciCheck Digest Inhalable or spray versions of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are still in development and don’t have regulatory approval. Posts online are distorting recent research from Yale University to falsely claim that governments have approved su
FactCheck.org→ No Proven Health Risks from Aspartame, But Also No Proven Benefits
Q: Does consumption of aspartame harm human health? A: Some research indicates possible negative effects from aspartame, but there’s no definitive evidence linking it to health problems in the general population. Aspartame is safe when consumed w
FactCheck.org→ Posts Push Unproven ‘Spike Protein Detoxification’ Regimen
SciCheck Digest Serious side effects after COVID-19 vaccination are rare, and there isn’t evidence people need to undergo a “spike protein detoxification” regimen after getting vaccinated, contrary to claims made online. Nor
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Study Does NOT Show Ivermectin Reduces COVID-19 Mortality By 74%
Does an article published in the medical journal Cureus prove that ivermectin reduces COVID-19 mortality by 74 percent? No, that's not true: A professor of medicine at John Hopkins University School of Medicine told Lead Stories, "The stu
FactCheck.org→ No Support for Viral Claim That COVID-19 ‘Lockdowns’ Are Returning This Fall
SciCheck Digest The U.S. is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, so it may be prudent for people to wear masks when out in public and take a few extra precautions. But the government is not planning to implement mask mandates or “lockdowns,” des
Lead Stories→ Mike Lindell’s WMD Online Detection Viewer: Dennis Montgomery And A Cryptic Message
Mike & Dennis At Lead Stories we have a long history of looking at Mike Lindell's election fraud claims. Readers will remember our fact checks about Lindell's four conspiracy-filled election fraud "documentaries" here, here, here and
Truth or Fiction?→ Secret Service Agents Discussed ‘Liaison’ with Oath Keepers’ Extremist Leader
Members of the U.S. Secret Service were not only familiar with the right-wing extremist “Oath Keepers” group — at least two also parroted their talking points and discussed a “liaison” arrangement between the two organizat
FactCheck.org→ Q&A on Trump’s Georgia Indictment
For the fourth time in a little more than four months, former President Donald Trump was indicted. This time, it’s by a special state grand jury in Georgia that alleges Trump and 18 co-defendants “refused to accept that Trump lost” the 2020 p
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Co-Conspirators in Georgia
In addition to former President Donald Trump, the indictment handed up by a state grand jury in Georgia names 18 defendants. The list includes familiar names, such as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and others who may not be known outsid
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Ellen DeGeneres Did NOT Endorse ‘Dental Relief Card’ Scam — It’s A Fake Video Pitch
Is Ellen DeGeneres appearing in an online video to endorse a free "Dental Relief card" for older Americans? No, that's not true: The video appears to be a deepfake creation. A spokesperson for the actress and comedian confirmed to Lead St
Truth or Fiction?→ Amazon ‘Prime Day’ Price Controversy
As the heavily promoted Amazon Prime Day (although the annual sitewide sale actually lasts for 48 hours) rolled around again on July 11 2023, a Reddit account’s post about misleading prices received heavy attention on the popular subreddit r/mild
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre NOT In DC ‘Drunk Driving Accident’
Was White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre caught in a "drunk driving accident" by DC Metro Police? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support this claim. The White House press office called the assertion "false" and the
FactCheck.org→ TikTok Video Mangles American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Estimates
SciCheck Digest Breast cancer in younger women has been increasing gradually in recent decades. But a social media post misrepresents case number projections for 2022 and 2023 to falsely claim they show a dramatic rise in early-onset breast cancer
FactCheck.org→ Trump’s Distortions of Federal Indictment
In the days leading up to his June 13 arraignment and in a speech several hours afterward, former President Donald Trump distorted what the federal indictment against him said and made faulty comparisons to other politicians’ actions. Trum
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Images Do NOT Show Trump Hugging Fauci — They Are NOT Authentic
Does a video containing still images of then-President Donald Trump and Anthony Fauci capture them embracing each other? No, that's not true: Those pictures are computer-generated. The claim originated from a tweet (archived here) on June
PolitiFact→ The differences in Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s classified document cases
Hillary Clinton’s emails and Donald Trump’s documents cases are not comparable, experts told PolitiFact. The main difference is intent.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: NO Evidence Many Members Of Royal Families Of Europe Have Undergone ‘Elite Gender Inversion’
Do photos of members of European royal families prove that they are transgender and part of a purported "Elite Gender Inversion"? No, that's not true: There is no publicly available evidence that the monarchs of various European countries
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Ancient Treasures Looted From Tomb Of Gilgamesh — Fake Mummy From 2008
Were treasures from the tomb of Gilgamesh discovered just before the Iraq war and did the U.S. military or Hillary Clinton cover it up? No, that's not true: This video is footage of one of several fake mummy hoaxes that have occurred over
FactCheck.org→ Young Children Do Not Receive Medical Gender Transition Treatment
SciCheck Digest Families seeking information from a health care provider about a young child’s gender identity may have their questions answered or receive counseling. Some posts share a misleading claim that toddlers are being “transitione
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Hillary Clinton Did NOT Say She Sacrificed Chickens To Moloch
Did Hillary Clinton say she sacrificed chickens to Moloch in a 2009 email? No, that's not true: The line in question was not written by her. The content of the exchange shows that the phrase was used as a figurative expression of cautious
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Grim Reaper’ Did NOT Appear At Coronation Of King Charles III — It Was A Verger
Did the Grim Reaper walk through Westminster Abbey during the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023? No, that's not true: A press officer at the Abbey told Lead Stories that the robed figure seen on TV during the ceremony is a ver
FactCheck.org→ Unpacking the Claim that Blinken ‘Lied’ to Congress
On Fox News, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said he caught Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a lie to Congress about communicating with Hunter Biden via email. Johnson said Blinken ought to resign or be impeached. It’s significant when a U.S
FactCheck.org→ FBI Access Request Is Not Evidence White House ‘Lied’ About Not Being ‘Involved’ in ‘Mar-a-Lago Raid’
Quick Take There’s no evidence the White House aided or had prior knowledge of the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022. By law, the White House requested access for the FBI to review the classified documents that former President Dona
FactCheck.org→ Posts Exaggerate Lab Findings About COVID-19’s Impact on Immune System
SciCheck Digest Outside of long COVID or very severe cases, most research suggests COVID-19 doesn’t cause lasting damage to the immune system. A few studies have found evidence of some possible damage, but nothing as severe as an immunodeficiency
The Dispatch→ Trump Indicted
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Happy Friday—and stop the count! Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories Turkey’s parliament voted to approve
FactCheck.org→ No Evidence Scientists Received Grant for Changing Opinion on Pandemic Origins, Contrary to Claims
In 2020, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded 11 grants to scientists so they could investigate how and where infectious agents emerge from wildlife and cause illness in humans. Although the grants were r
FactCheck.org→ What the Cochrane Review Says About Masks For COVID-19 — and What It Doesn’t
SciCheck Digest People online are touting the results of a Cochrane review to incorrectly claim that it shows masks “don’t work” against the coronavirus. But the primary conclusion of the review is that it’s uncertain from randomized contro
Truth or Fiction?→ Texas Judge Sought to ‘Hide’ Abortion Pill Hearing Information
On March 14 2023, a popular post to Reddit’s r/politics claimed that a Texas judge intended to “hide” an “abortion hearing,” linking to a post on the legal blog AboveTheLaw.com: As first reported by the Washington Post, Ju